Dress-shield stiffener.



H. D. HARDCASTLE.

DRESS SHIELD STIFFENER.

APPLIQATION FILED OCT- 8, 1915. I

Patented May 23,

HENRY DELAWARE HARDGASTLE, OFATLANTIC CITY, NEW nnsEY.

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To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY DELAWARE HARDCASTLE, acitizen of the United States,

eners and extenders for the flaps of dress shields.

The purpose of my invention is to perform the extending function by elastic flex- V ible means which shall interfere as little as possible with the comfort of the wearer and shall restore the original shape of the flap when the garment is removed from the wearer.

A further .purpose of my invention is to provide a resilient and flexible support for the outline of a considerable part of a flap of a dress shield.

A further purpose of my invention is to prevent the curling or rumpling of the flaps of the shield which tend to displace them from their proper positions within the garment.

A further purpose of my invention is to distend the flaps of the shield when not in use, restoring it to its original shape.

A further purpose of my invention is to reduce the number of points of attachment of the shield required to hold it in position.

Further purposes of my invention will appear in the specification and claim thereof.

I have preferred to illustrate my invention by but two of the various forms in which it may appear, selecting forms which are not only practical, efficient and inexpensive, but which at the same time will illustrate the principles of my invention.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a folded dress shield showing one form of my stiffener in place. Fig. 2 is a section of Fig. 1 taken upon lines 2-2 thereof. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a stiffener corresponding generally to that shown in Fig. 1, but stiffening an additional area of the shield.'

I have applied my invention to the wellknown dress shield comprising the outer and inner flaps 5 and 6, joined along a curved line at 7 and each having outer and inner cover members 8, 9, '10, 11 bound about the edges of the flaps, or otherwise united, as by tape 12. Such a shield is or- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patente May23, 1916.

Application filed October 8, 1915. Serial No.54,919.

dinarily fastened to the garment, not only at the front and back, at l3, g14L, but also at one or more other points, such as 15, tokeep it spread and prevent curling or crumpling, objectionable both because of the added bulk and because the shield then no longer protects the intended surface.

UNITED s rarns PATENT orrron. g

Attachment of the lower part of the shield to the dress causes any strains upon the .-Sl116ld.t0 be transmitted to the dress ob-' jectionably. I

I have found that the extension (preferably distention) of'the lower part of each flap of the shield by a resilient form solves this problem more satisfactorily than the attachment to the garment and avoids the necessity of re-attachment after each removal. I prefer to stretch the flaps by pressure against their lower edges downwardly and, if desired, also laterally by using a resilient insert which conforms substantially to the contour of the lower interior of each flap and which is a little larger across than the space between 15 and the edge 7 or other upper contact. For this purpose I use a flat insert, flexible and resilient-within its plane and also for curvature about the arm or body. While I recognize that the insert 16 finds its greatest utility when distendf ing the lower contour of each flap by pressing that contour away from the edge 7, my insert would have some advantage even if its upper edge did not normally engage with the inner surface at 7 or other upper point of engagement, since in either case the insert would prevent excessive crumpling or limit the extent of surface of the flap subject to the crumpling. The insert may be secured to the flap at any point, if desired, as at 17,and the point 17 may be made low enough to hold the insert away from the edge 7, if preferred.

My insert is shown in one form in Fig. 1, as substantially circular in contour, but having a crimped or serpentine perimeter. in order to give greater resilience and flexibility. In its most advantageous form, my insert thus presses the entire lower end of the flap away from the upper edge at 7, whatever the position to whichthe flap is bent about the arm or body.

In the use of my invention with some forms of flap there is a possibilityof one or more of the loops or turns of the serpentine perimeter passing over the junctionllo line between the inner faces of the two flaps I have shown it in Fig. 3 as bridging be,-v tween thepoints 23 and 24 and as straight H in this particiilar form. It is obvious that both the contour and length of this bridge may be varied to suit the spreader to which it is applied.

*1 construct the insert of material not" subject to rust. V

v Inithe form shown in Fig. 3, I have preservedfthedesirable curved lower edge of the contour and have varied the upper contour to spread a larger surface ofthe flap,

at the required point and possesses suificient flexibility to accommodate to the parts. Having thus described my inventlon, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is A dress shield spreader'of curved general contour and having a resilient serpentine,

perimeter lying in the plane of the approximate circle'i a HENRY DELAWARE HARDCASTLEV.

' Vitness 2' I WM. STEELL JACKSON.

Copies of this patent maybe. obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. I i Washington, D. 0. 1 a 

